Taxus L., an important ornamental, economic, and medicinal plant, is renowned for producing paclitaxel (Taxol®), a potent chemotherapeutic agent. The biosynthesis of paclitaxel involves intricate biosynthetic pathways, spanning multiple enzymatic steps. Despite advances, challenges remain in optimizing production methods. Microorganisms, particularly endophytic fungi, show potential in producing paclitaxel, though with limitations in yield and stability. The suspension culture of Taxus cells is a promising alternative, offering sustainable production, yet it requires further genetic and environmental optimization. Recent advancements in synthetic biology have enabled partial reconstitution of paclitaxel pathways in microbial and plant chassis. However, achieving complete biosynthesis remains an ongoing challenge. This review consolidates recent progress in paclitaxel biosynthesis, highlighting current limitations and future prospects for industrial-scale production.

The simplex strategies of fertilizer management and problems caused by simultaneous precipitation and high-temperature (SPH) climate were the main factors that led to yield loss and quality decline in the continuous cropping of tea chrysanthemum (Dendranthema morifolium ‘Jinsi Huang’). In this study, with sustainable biofertilizers being proposed as a potential solution. However, their effects under such constraints are underexplored. In this study, we compared different proportions of a sustainable dark tea biofertilizer, made with two commonly used fertilizers, by their contributions to the morphological, photosynthetic, and flowering traits of D. morifolium ‘Jinsi Huang’. The results showed that increasing the dark tea biofertilizer application to 4.5 kg·m⁻² significantly enhanced the soil alkali hydrolyzed nitrogen (596.53% increase), available phosphorus (64.11%), and rapidly available potassium (75.56%) compared to the levels in yellow soil. This nutrient enrichment in soil caused D. morifolium ‘Jinsi Huang’ to produce more leaves (272.84% increase) and flower buds (1041.67%), along with a strengthened photosynthetic capacity (higher Fv/Fm values and light saturation point). These improvements alleviated the photoinhibition caused by SPH climate conditions, ultimately leading to significantly higher contents of chlorogenic acid (38.23% increase) and total flavonoids (80.28%) in the harvested flowers compared to the control group. Thus, dark tea biofertilizer is a cost-effective and efficient additive for growing tea chrysanthemum in SPH regions due to improving soil quality and causing nutritional and functional components to accumulate in harvest flowers, which greatly promotes the commercial value of rural revitalization industries centered around tea chrysanthemum.